35 Chapter 24: Choices (1/2)
”You know misty days, are the blessed days for misdemeanors and sins,” Taylan professed to Magnus as they walked down the dark city streets.
Taylan was right, it was one of those days that come more often than not; three out of five days to be exact. Magnus chucked it up to how high up there were, nearly touching the heavens and stars.
Thanks to the mist rolling around everything, you could barely see a meter or two in front of you. Magnus could see how it would be a fortunate day for malefactors and scoundrels; they could get away with nearly anything and none would be any the wiser or even be able to stop them and chase them down.
”We are here,” Soykan announced as they turned into an alleyway and walked deep into it. Soykan then came to a stop in an unassuming spot and knocked on a wooden board up latch that stood at an average person's height. He knocked three quick times then two slow times and finished it off with a loud resounding knock.
Then they stood there for a while, Magnus was then about to ask why they were just standing about, until the wooden frame swung open. Light poured into the dark back alley, and for a moment Magnus was blinded.
However, he quickly adjusted himself and was once more able to see straight. There seated behind the frame was a man wearing an executioner mask, the only thing that Magnus could make out was his lips and eyes.
Magnus then tried to peer deeper into the place, but the man blocked his sight, so all that was presented to him was the man's upper frame which was lanky and lean.
”Good to see that you have made it Master Sevki,” the man said in a bored and bland tone. Furthermore, Magnus noticed that the man didn't sound that old, if he had to pinpoint it, he would say somewhere in the thirties.
”Good to see you as well Master Whisperer,” Soykan expressed as he inclined his head.
Then the Whisperer noticed the rest of them that were tagging along, ”Ah, I see that you brought along friends.” Then he noticed all the bulging spots and the sheath weapons, ”Plus, I see you came well equipped.”
”Well, you can't be too safe in these parts,” Soykan remarked as he plastered a bright smile on his face.
”I couldn't agree more,” the Whisperer said, then four men walked out of the shadows, two from each side. Magnus noticed all of them were as big and heavy set as Bulut, typical bruisers and hired hands and each of them held gleaming daggers and clubs.
At the entrance of the four armed men, tension reached an all time high, Magnus could feel the pressure literally stifling the air.
However, before things broke down into bloodshed, Soykan was quick to evaporate the grim mood. ”Let's not be antsy, Master Whisperer. We are only here to do business,” then he quietly and smoothly slide a coin purse that was bulging with coins like he had done it numerous times before.
The Whisperer took the purse and untied it, Magnus could see the yellow gleam of gold in his eyes. Then the man quickly made the coin purse disappear, and turned back to face Soykan with ridicule in his tone. ”I would require another purse just like this Master Sevki or whatever you are called. You were told to come along and with no weapons correct!”
Magnus nearly outbursted in outrage at the sheer shamelessness of the man and his audacity to steal from them right before their very faces. But he held himself back, he remembered Soykan words before they left the hideout; he was only here in an observation and learning capacity.
”Of course, of course, Master Whisperer,” Soykan said as he took on submissive tone. Magnus had no idea why he did so when he knew that he could obliterate the slimeball with that awesome power at his beck and call.
Magnus checked and every single one of the four men could break the man like a twig!
[Name: Whisperer Highest Stat: Intellect(11.22)]
Even the strongest bruiser was like a little baby before giants;
[Name: Strongest Bruiser Highest Stat: Strength(10.83)]
Be that as it may, Soykan did as he was told like a good little boy and handed out another coin purse bulging with money. The Whisperer reached out for it greedily, but before he could pocket it away, Soykan smacked his hand over it. ”The information first, Whisperer,” he said, showing a bit of his true self for the first time in the meeting.
”Yes, yes,” the Whisperer replied in an irritated voice, blissfully not noticing the deadly situation he was in. He reached under his wooden window then brought out a parchment and handed off to Soykan.
Soykan let his hand go from the purse and the Whisperer greedily took it like the vulture he was and started to count the coin. Soykan completely ignored the man and focused down on the parchment in his hands, Magnus wondered what the sheet contained since they went through all this trouble and humiliation.
”Are you done,” the Whisperer asked after he put away his fraudulently gotten money.
”Yes, though to make sure this information is acute, right?” Soykan asked as he put away the sheet into his cloak.
”Yes, yes, in five moon turns the 'shipment' will be at that location. Now would you shoo away?!” the Whisperer said as he gestured to them like dogs to flee.
”Of course, of course, Master Whisperer,” Soykan said as he played up his amiable role. ”But I do not need to say what will happen if this information is incorrect, right?”
”Are you threatening me,” the Whisperer asked as his eyes formed slits.
”Of course not,” Soykan pronounced as he placed his hands at his heart like he was hurt at the man's very words. ”I am not trying to intimidate you, I am simply telling you what will be happening!”
”Damn, now that's what I call flipping the script,” Magnus voiced before he could stop himself. Though Magnus did not regret it one bit, finally they were showing their teeth, finally they were showing this weasel who they were, Infamous Menace.
That remark even got Taylan and Bulut silently chuckling to themselves, even Shui had a smile on his face.
”You… How dare you, I will have each and every single one of you gutted where you stand like the pigs you are!” the man shouted like a raving lunatic.
Soykan ignored the man and his spitting rage and simply uttered, ”Now we do not want anything to happen to little Melodi, do we?”
The man paused mid stride and froze up like a deer in a headlight, without a single word to utter.
Soykan continued on as if nothing happened in that same amiable tone, which made him all the more chilling and unnerving. ”You know you are not a redeeming man, Master Whisperer. You killed off all your competition and made sure to eliminate them thoroughly, including their children, spouses, and relatives. Making you the most respected and notable information in this city.
I was thinking about killing you right here and right now after I collected what I needed, but I found out the most interesting thing.
You were kicked out by your wife for tour too many whore houses, but you still support them and send over plenty of money. Now you couldn't be doing this because of your wife, the two of you had a most volatile relationship.
Therefore you must have had a good reason, and lo and behold I found out about your daughter. A sweet girl, indeed! How old is she, five, six seasons old?”
Finally after a long silence stretched out, the Whisperer squeaked up, ”How… how di- did you find that out?”
”Now you do not need to know that, but what you do need to know and pray with all your god damned hope is that this information pans out! If it doesn't, well I do not need to tell you what happens, do I?”
”Y- you wouldn't,” the man replied back, putting up his last resistance.
”Now why wouldn't I,” Soykan asked in an offended tone. ”You dared to do it, so why can't I? Why can't anybody do the same to you?”
The Whisperer had nothing more to say, the resignation was plain in his eyes. It is a hard medicine to swallow when vengeance follows through and bites you back.
”Now Master Whisperer, we plan on doing more business with you in the future, so we also hope that this information turns out to be accurate,” Shui said in a polite tone. But the man did not respond, he just sat there slumped in his seat and staring off into empty space.